Hot Rods Is the hot rod market really slow these days?

Paint helps so much. You could sell a terd if it had a nice paint job, smelly and all.

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the economy is very strong. The guys that have discretional cash are smart to place it in the stock market, not in an old car.

I am still trying to figure out the dramatic adjustment of the market in the past ten years. I will tell you that the demand for pre-1955 cars has plummeted. I have a theory that I believe is correct, but it really doesn't matter.

We just need to remember that the marketplace is always right, no matter how much we wish it was wrong. We are powerless to change it

 

The world is changing everyday and most of the time not to our liking. I spent the last 30 years building , buying and selling cars and parts. Most times on my own projects I did very well. On customer cars , lets just say that as time went by the bad paying customers started to out weigh the good ones. money to spend on toys started on the down slope about 10 years ago, and in my area it has not regrouped. It is a buyer's market and they set the value. They always have for that matter , but years ago they listen to their hearts and not their bank account. Hell I still have a dozen personal projects set aside that at 62 I know I will never get to and I have actually tried to give away some to younger guys hoping someone would build them. Some where tempted but admitted in the end that they would just end up sitting in their garages to. Building these cars is expensive and the only thing I can't do, is the machine work itself on the motors. And anyone who says they can build a finished, painted , interior, chrome at a driver quality level for lest than 20,000.00 dollars is full of it up to their eye balls. Last spring I finished a good friends 34 five window. considering he paid 20 grand for it in 1997 and that about 10 years ago decided to change it from a red, billet wheel, tweed seated wonder to a black, red wheeled, wide white's with red tuck in roll interior traditional rod and that do to the cost did become a long term project. he had over 40 in it . He is in the early stage's of Parkinsons and getting in and out became a problem. We where trying to get 28,500.00 out of it. Everybody that saw it said that was way to low for it but nobody ever bellied up to the bar with cash. A guy eventually offer a straight across trade for it with a older build, but nice 57 Chevy hardtop. My buddy can get in and out of the 57 a lot better so he traded . Both of the guys are happy and I guess that's all that matters. Enjoy this hobby while it last, It has been a fun ride for me

 

I'm going to give you some tough love. OK? Please understand where this is coming from. Your car is confusing. Disc brakes, radials, stock height windshield. Is it a hot rod, street rod, resto mod, what?

I think your car isn't selling is because it's your vision.

 

Went to Streetside classics Atlanta Saturday for a TOYS FOR TOTS cruise, notice that they had a heavy inventory. Asked a salesman why so many cars, he said the market is way down and the only selling is 60's muscle cars and Vettes are not part of that market.

 

I think old trucks are easier to sell than old cars. I see cars priced very well languish on the market for months.

 

Banjorear, I don't need no tough love, I build what I like, I couldn't possibly build what you like, I don't know your taste, T's are small, incredibly small. A six footer cannot own this car, they're just too big to fit in it. Hence the tall windshield, everywhere I go here is hiway stuff, a tall screen is a must to go 200 plus miles, radials are a must to go 200 plus miles and 200 plus miles is regularly done in this car. AGAIN, not whining about my car, just lamenting the fact that we may be, in fact, seeing the beginning of the end in terms of our hobby with all us old farts dying off. I find this to be an interesting trend.

 

Trollst's car is interesting and there are a few things I like about it. However after going over a mental check list of what it would take to make it MY version of a hot rod, my offer would probably be insulting. I had $20k plus in a project that I sold here on the HAMB for $4k. I'm down to two cars and the fact that they're banger powered reduces the number of interested buyers. I don't live, eat and breathe hot rods. Check the prices of tuner cars, vintage trucks and station wagons. There will always be high dollar hot rods based on a pedigree. But you're not going to see them in the HAMB classifieds or CL. If you want to make a small fortune in the hot rod business, you need to start with a large one.

 

Over priced cars for the current market not selling does not equate to the beginning of the end of the hobby.

 

I do agree it seems a lot of cars are for sale for years and years. Old cars are a limited market and I would say there are less potential buyers all the time, whether for a high end build or overpriced rusty project.

Recently I sold a very nice off-topic collector car for much less than I spent on it. It was time for it to go and priced it to what the market was. It now has a new owner. As others have written here; everything sells if the price is attractive.

 

The market seems to be soft for earlier cars BUT there are folks out there who worked hard their whole life and lived below their means. They now have the $$ and get what they want regardless of the return on their car. $50 or $100K has no effect on their standard of living and they could care less if the car value goes to zero-but they don't buy late model flashy cars that depreciate rapidly. I know a few of these guys quite well-some are still having cars built and they drive em-most have more than one.

 

It seem the only way you can get your money out of these cars............ is drive it out. Nothing new, is it?

 

Classic cars are a luxery market. Big money Investment Cars are just that, an investment, a tangible asset in a portfolio, a purchased loss, many things. Each type of modified car is a niche in a niche. Belly button Street Rods will do better than most traditional style cars, because they are a popular style, and the more individualized the car,the harder to sell. Patina, primered , and projects are hard to move when a painted example can be had for the same money, or the price difference is less than the the cost to finish. Wheels and tires, like graphics are personal,and get dated quickly. Rare does not always mean valuable, often it means less interest, and or need. Throw in the emotions, the nostalgia of the current buyers and the memories of their youth, and there is your market. They may remember 32 fords, t buckets, 55 chevys, and other dreams of their parents, but they want 65 mustangs, 69 Chargers and Camaros, Chevelles, IROCs and 5.0 Mustangs. Maybe, if a Hot Rod crossed their path they might bite, or, simply, the right place and time. . Many early cars are more akin to a motorcycle, and,like a truck, only seat two which brings less. There are many more intricacies. A 40,000 dollar investment will bring 20.000 more often than a 10,000 investment. All this is what I know after buying and selling 150 plus cars.

 

Hot Rodding started from several points: a desire for freedom, adventure, & individuality, a thirst for knowledge, and NECESSITY....a deuce roadster was a CHEAP but still semi- fast car and 15 years OLD when it started to became the Rod of choice... it was a BEATER. The guys who started this hobby in the '20's-'30's labored away in their separate garages not knowing much of each other unless there was a race or something. These guys wanted Deusenbergs , French race cars, airplanes etc....they settled for ripping the fenders off old T & A's and slogging around dirt tracks....are we talking about society at large "giving up" on something fun, educational and individually expressive? I doubt it, I think it has more to do with the fact that they couldn't afford Deusenbergs then and we can't now... 15K ain't chump change. I used to buy Mustangs for $500 the equivalent of buying a deuce in the 40's for 100 bucks. I couldn't give a rats ass what the trend of the minute is that never was me I combed through libraries for books and car mags on traditional roots rodding in the f*@king '80's when it was a wasteland of pastel pink, teal and multi-colored stripes and no one had a clue what a flathead was! People jump on and off bandwagons for various reasons especially the money motivated that's them not me....I always hear about people "getting their money back" but the curious thing is it's never happened to me or anyone else in this or most hobbies I've known. Greed ruins all good things (no i'm not pointing a finger at you) how about the fact that nearly everyone where we live is forced to live in an apartment/condo or maybe a townhouse with a carport? where you gonna keep a car? If some of the older generation would sell their homes at decent prices to the next generation of families maybe some of them could afford a hobby?....but who's going to turn down a million dollars for something you paid $60 grand for? Although I'm pissed I had to pay 5x more for 10x worse for my projects I can't whine and drip about times gone by. I still do what I do out of necessity because I want knowledge, adventure, individuality, and freedom

 

Please don't misunderstand.... I am by no means in this for the money and I actually think the hyper inflated prices for collector cars in general turns a lot of would be enthusiasts off before they even get into hot rodding. This stuff runs in my blood and I will never give it up unless someone actually forces me to.

The fact is that our society is hurtling towards a point where machines (AI, automation etc.) will do most of the work that humans now do. The self driving car will basically put this hobby out of existence if you realize all the regulations that have to come with it to make it work. It will be sold and is being sold to us under the guise of being safer and more economical. Unfortunately people are to short sighted to see their own autonomy being taken from them until after its to late. The o.p. posed the question about the hot rod market and my feeling is that the market is starting to react to the real possibility that the cars we love won't be able to operate on public roads in 15 or 20 years. If that is the case then what is the point of paying astronomical sums of money for something you can't use. I know it sounds like I am chicken little but at 37 years old I realize that by the time I retire I might not be able to enjoy my hot rod the way it was meant to be enjoyed... on the open road when and where I want. That doesn't give me much hope for the future.

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ford trucks and coupes are still selling

 

Man, I don't know. I hope people aren't so eager to turn over their freedom to jump in the car and go wherever they want. I've sold two cars in the last few months, (61 Dodge and 64 Olds) both went to younger families who wanted a classic car to cruise in and enjoy as a family. I hope that is a sign not all is lost in this hobby.

 

I agree w/ OP and I feel the market has changed/soft/flooded, BUT this the biggest thing I've observed in recent times, What happened to courtesy, respect, Integrity ??? I've talked to some real obnoxious people, between phone, e-mails, messaging, nobody seems to have ANY people skills anymore. Do people think that works being an obnoxious prick ? I've never met a successful man that fits that description, But I'm an old timer, set in my ways, happy with the hobby and my life. I guess I'll be lowering my prices in spring, but will not sell to an A$$hole, my cars deserve better.

 

Just saw a trashy ass T bucket for $38000, That is what is wrong with the market.

 

I built several 100K+ cars in the early to mid 2000's and they went away in a short time. Now it is almost impossible to get that kind of money. All my current cars are Henry steel but that doesn't seem to be as big a deal as it used to be. If mine don't sell my kids can give them away at my estate sale. It seems the economy is beginning to pick up steam as my chassis business is keeping me busy. At 73 I'll just roll with the times.

 

Don't be offended and maybe this has been mentioned before and maybe it's off-topic, but many of us would be hot rodders if there was not another rodder on the planet.